Joe Cole believes his loan move from Liverpool to Lille will suit him after claiming the French club remind him of a ‘mini Barcelona’.

The former West Ham and Chelsea midfielder endured a dismal first season at Anfield, with injuries and a loss of form restricting him to just nine Premier League starts.

Joe Cole is looking forward to playing for a ‘mini Barcelona’ (AFP/Getty Images)

Cole knew his situation was unlikely to improve this term after Reds boss Kenny Dalglish brought in Charlie Adam , Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing , so jumped at the chance to rebuild his career with the French champions.

The 29-year-old did not know much about Ligue 1 football when he was first approached about the move, but became an immediate convert when he saw how Lille coach Rudi Garcia likes his team to play.

‘We don’t watch much French football on TV in Britain. But I looked at Lille and, for me, they are a kind of mini Barcelona. They pass the ball quickly and well,’ Cole said.

‘With the way Lille play, there is a lot of freedom and I like that.’

Cole, who is hoping to prove he deserves to add to his 56 England caps, also picked out one of his new team-mates that he is particularly looking forward to playing alongside – Eden Hazard.

‘[Eden] Hazard is a great player,’ he added.

The 290-year-old is currently being tracked by Arsenal and Liverpool, with both Premier League clubs expected to make bids for the forward in January.